Slavery
by Lauren Wagner
Summary: Kurt is a Romani in 1561 England...need I say more?
1. Default Chapter

Prologue:  
  
He was so tired.  
  
The chain around his neck and wrists were far too tight for him, and they chaffed and pulled at his skin and fur as he was forced to move onward in the slave line.  
  
One of the men was not satisfied with his progress, and he was shoved forward harshly, tripping and falling to his knees.  
  
The lash came down on his back next, and he flinched as it kissed his back. His body trembled as he tried to force himself to stand up, but the shouts and lashings weren't helping him much.  
  
A gentle hand took him by the arm and pulled him up to his feet. Looking over his shoulder, he looked at his foster sister, who smiled weakly at him, a fresh scar blazing bright red on the side of her face.  
  
Another stroke of the lash broke the moment, and Kurt Szardos started to move once more.  
  
The screams from his tribe members being branded reached his pointed ears, and Kurt was terrified for his turn.  
  
He didn't want to be branded. He didn't want to be in chains, he didn't want to be a slave. There were so many things that he didn't want to happen to him, and the Gadje was doing them all to him.  
  
He was grabbed roughly and brought into the room where branding irons rested in the flames. He kicked and fought with them weakly, crying out in his Rom tongue as they tied him down. Whimpering, Kurt watched as the branding iron was taken out of the flames, a large 'V' glowing from the fire.  
  
It sizzled when it was pressed onto his bare chest, and his scream echoed everywhere as he was branded for slavery.  
  
Chapter One:  
  
He was in the slave pen for six months, his looks keeping him from being bought by anyone. He watched helplessly as one by one his family was sold, and it soon became just him and his foster sister left. He tried to hide her when the people came to look at the slaves, making her crouch down while he piled straw on top of her to hide her.  
  
This worked for a while, and some of the overseers were wondering where she had gone when one of the buyers, a noble by the name of Braddock came in and he lashed out with his cane at the pile of straw, making her cry out. He paid for her, and he tried to lead her out of the pens, but Kurt lashed out with his claws and fangs, cutting up his hand badly before an overseer struck him upside the head.  
  
When Kurt woke, he found himself in the solitary cells, where they put the troublemakers. It was wet and cold there, and he shivered badly in his chains. He soon was struck down by a bad fever, and he often lay in the corner of his cell, curled up in a fetal position, shivering and moaning as the fever gave him hallucinations and made him vomit a yellowish green bile.  
  
The fever soon passed, but the smell in the cell did not. Kurt was stuck in these conditions for a month until someone opened the door to his cell to show him to someone.  
  
The man was a priest with piercing sky blue eyes. He looked down his crooked nose at Kurt and he sniffed slightly.  
  
"He'll do." He said. In no time Kurt found himself being forced to trot beside the priest's horse, a chain around his neck like a leash with shackles on his ankles to keep him from running too fast.  
  
The priest's home was definitely a violation of the poverty clause in the Priest Vows. It was a large mansion with five floors; each one with more rooms than was needed. He also had fifty acres of land around his mansion, which included his stables and the church that he preached at.  
  
He brought Kurt to the stables, dismounting and taking off of the leash, leaving the ankle shackles on. He turned to Kurt and looking at him like one does with a filthy homeless dog. Kurt looked back at him in the eyes, and he was struck in the face with a willow switch.  
  
"You will not make eye contact with any of your betters." His master said, flexing the switch in his hands. "Which includes myself, my wife, and all of the servants in the household. I would say not to make eye contact with my hunting dogs, pigs, cows, and horses too but you will need to look them in the eyes to make sure they are healthy.  
  
"Your work will be in the stables and pens of my animals. You will tend to the pigs first, and then the cows, the horses, and my dogs shall be last. I expect them to be tended to very well and be in the best condition possible. An overseer will come and check on you during the day, and you will be whipped if he sees you being lazy or idle in your work. Idleness is the Devil's playground; never forget that.  
  
"I will inspect them when the day is done, and if something is wrong, you will be whipped. If this becomes a pattern, you will find yourself back in the slave market. I suggest that you work hard not to mess anything up.  
  
"My house and the church are off limits for the likes of you. If I ever catch you in either place, you will be hanged without question. Don't think I will give you warnings first. I can afford to kill a few disobedient slaves if I have to.  
  
"I want you to tend to the horses and dogs today. Your first inspection will be when the sunsets. If you want to make a good first impression, don't mess this up.  
  
"Now with everything said, do you have any questions?" Kurt made sure to keep his head lowered, his tail curling around his left leg slowly.  
  
"Where do I eat and sleep?" he asked. His master snorted softly, crossing his arms over his chest.  
  
"You will be sleeping with the pigs in night. Your meals will be with them as well. Now get to work. The Lord frowns upon the lazy." With that, he turned and headed back to his mansion.  
  
Kurt watched after him, his tail swaying slowly. The horse beside him snorted at him, swishing its own tail a bit. Nodding faintly as if the horse had said something, Kurt turned and led it into the stables.  
  
"I hate it here too." He whispered softly.  
  
Tending to the horses was quite easy. The horses were very gentle with him, and he became quite connected with them in the hour he was with them, cleaning and brushing each one of them.  
  
One of the horses, a white mare with a black mane and tail, nudged her bucket of feed at him, and Kurt understood that she was offering him to eat from her oats. He was so hungry that he knelt down and ate two handfuls of the food, drinking from the horse's water trough.  
  
The dogs...well...  
  
Some of the dogs were nice to him, wagging their tails at him and licking his hands and feet in greeting. The majority of them growled and bared their teeth at him, snapping at his hands and tail, wanting to draw his blood like they were trained to do. A few of them were able to bite him, but he didn't strike at them or hate them. He understood that these dogs were trained to be so violent towards him, and that wasn't their fault now was it?  
  
When the sun went down, he watched his master walk up to him at the stables, and he hoped that he had done good enough not to be beaten. His master walked past him, looking over his horses and dogs. He stopped once, narrowing his eyes when he looked at the mare's food bucket.  
  
"Zelda's food should be more than this." He said. "Remember that for tomorrow."  
  
"I will." Kurt whispered, nodding faintly. Seeing the bites on Kurt's hands, his master smiled faintly and he patted his dogs on their heads.  
  
"You've done well your first day." He said. "You may go to sleep now." Kurt bowed slowly; figuring that that was what he was expected to do.  
  
The pigsty was not too far from the stables and Kurt could find it by using his nose. To his dismay, he found that it was just a pile of mud surrounded by a wooden fence. There was no kind of shelter to protect them from the rain or whatnot, and he was stuck sleeping with them.  
  
Slowly, he knelt down and he crawled into the pigsty, wincing at the mud that got into his fur and tattered clothes. Some of the pigs turned to him and sniffed him a bit, wondering what this new thing was that was coming into their domain. They soon gave him their permission to rest there, and they turned to fall asleep in a huddle in the corner of the sty.  
  
Curling up into a fetal position in the water mud, Kurt slowly closed his eyes, and he fell asleep. 


	2. chapters 2 and 3

Chapter Two:  
  
Kurt was woken up by a switch striking him on the arm the next morning. With a yelp he woke up, and he saw an arrogant looking young man standing over him. His eyes were like ice chips and his hair was snow white, two slivers hanging over his eyes.  
  
His eyes glittered as he struck Kurt again.  
  
"On your feet you lazy beast." He said. "God frowns on lazy slaves." Slowly, Kurt got to his feet, flinching slightly when the young man snorted at him in disgust.  
  
"Filthy! Absolutely filthy!" he said. "The Father will want you cleaned up before you do anything with his animals. Come on!" Grabbing Kurt roughly by the arm, he dragged him out of the pigsty, ignoring the shackles on his ankles that tripped him up as he tried to make him go faster.  
  
He brought Kurt to a well and he ordered him to draw water and then strip.  
  
"I will be back in a few minutes." He explained. "If you're not clean when I return, you'll be sorry." With that, he turned and headed for the mansion.  
  
Slowly, Kurt drew water from the well. He then peeled off the rags that had once been clothes, his pants catching on his shackles and giving him some difficulty.  
  
The water was cold, but Kurt couldn't help but close his eyes in pleasure as the dried mud, blood, and filth was washed out of his cobalt blue fur. When this was finished, he used his fingers to smooth down his fur and fix his hair.  
  
"You certainly clean up well." Kurt's cheeks burned violet and when he turned around; the young man slapped him, making his nose start to bleed.  
  
"Vanity is a great sin in the eyes of the Lord!" he said. "I should make you work naked for the entire day as punishment, but the good Father has told me to give you these clothes to wear. You owe him for that!" He gave Kurt a pair of tweed britches and a white shirt.  
  
"Hurry up and put them on." He snapped. Kurt paused for a moment, wondering if he was allowed to say something or not. "What's the matter?"  
  
"These chains... I can't..."  
  
"Oh hold still!" Kneeling down, he unlocked the shackles on Kurt's ankles. Kurt dressed, and the shackles were put back on.  
  
"Now get to work. You've wasted enough time!" Nodding, Kurt went to tend to the pigs first, hoping that that young man wouldn't come back to see his progress any time soon.  
  
He raked the mud to smooth it out first, the pigs staying in one corner as if to let him do his work without any trouble. He then gave the pigs fresh water and a good washing, making quite a few trips to the well to get the water.  
  
He spoke to them while he washed them, acting as if he could hear what they were saying in return. It was a kind of defense mechanism for him; making things seem less terrible than the really were by acting like he enjoyed his life so far.  
  
"How long have you been here? Five years, my! That's a long time for a pig like you.  
  
"And you? How long have you been here? Only two? But you look so much older than just two years here? He bought you at an auction did he? Well I suppose that makes sense when you think about it.  
  
"Whoops! Hold on a moment you! You have a huge wad of mud in your ear! There! Can you hear me now, pig? That must have been annoying eh? No, a simple thanks is all I need, you can keep your gold for someone else!  
  
"Oh I agree! Your two piglets [i]are[/i] both quite handsome, miss! I'll make sure to wash them extra well for you!"  
  
When he was finished, he washed his hands in the mast bit of clean water, and he left to go and tend to the cows, but not without a few parting words.  
  
"Auf Wiedersehen, my friends! I shall be joining you for lunch later on today. Now don't go getting too mucky. It's not too hot out to try and cool down you know!"  
  
His master had four cows in all, with one bull and a single brown calf. Smiling faintly, he went to the well and drew some water, which is used to brush and clean them with, talking to them as usual.  
  
"Well what do you think, Bull? Shall I let you and the ladies go out for a walk in the fields. You certainly could use the exercise, a bull like you with such strong limbs needs to let them stretch out a bit right? Well hold on a tick and you and the others will be out and grazing in no time.  
  
"Ach!" The calf had been watching Kurt's tail swaying for quite some time, before it decided to see if it tasted any good. Gritting his teeth, Kurt gently opened up the calf's mouth, and he took out his tail, which now had a slight bend to it from where he had been bitten.  
  
"No worries!" he said, smiling weakly as he started to clean the calf. "You didn't do any real damage to my tail, but next time I would appreciate a warning first before you decide to taste something of mine all right?" Looking at him with watery brown eyes, the calf let out a noise of agreement. Smiling, Kurt stroked its head.  
  
"That's better!"  
  
When he was finished cleaning up the animals, Kurt turned to two of the cows, which were full of milk. Tilting his head to one side, he wondered why there was only one calf if these two were producing milk. He shrugged it off, Gadje had strange habits when it came to tending to their animals.  
  
Crouching down, Kurt milked one of the cows, figuring that the calf would milk the other once they were out in the fields, since it was still too young to start eating grass yet.  
  
"You're putting up with this quite well, m'lady." He said, looking over at the sleepy looking cow. "You certainly have a large amount of patience for someone who has people come in here and start to milk you. Then again, I suspect it would be different if my hands were cold now wouldn't it?" The cow mooed softly in agreement. Laughing softly, Kurt nodded and he finished up, taking the milk and placing it outside of the barn.  
  
"Now, who wants to go outside?" he asked, walking back into the barn. One by one he led them to the green fields, and he hung back as he watched them walk around lazily for a moment before they got into their routine of grazing and whatnot. The calf started to suckle on the unmilked cow almost at once, its tail swinging side to side excitedly.  
  
Leaning on the fence that surrounded their grazing field, Kurt crossed his arms over his chest, and he tilted his head to one side as he thought back.  
  
They hadn't been able to have many animals, since they were always on the run from the hunters, but one of their tribe members, a man named Zelig, had been to a farm once, and he told them all how to tend to the animals there properly. He said that it was important to know, in case they ever have the ability to settle down for at least a year or some on fertile soil to at least make some sort of living before the hunters found them out and drove them to running once more.  
  
Margali had dismissed these lessons, saying that farming was what the Queen of Spain wanted them to do, when that was not their life's work. She said that their ancestors had been rovers, doing this and that for their living, and if that was good for them then, it was still good for them now.  
  
Zelig had countered this by pointing out the fact that they were being rounded up by the thousands and sold as slaves. Obviously, their old ways were of no use anymore if they were being branded and put in chains for it.  
  
The two butted heads for the longest time, until Zelig finally packed up his things and left the tribe, saying that anyone who wished to join him could do so and have no fear of being put in slave chains any time soon.  
  
Only four people went with him, and Margali cursed each one of them for turning their backs on their own people like that.  
  
Kurt sighed softly, shaking his head faintly at the memory. Maybe if Margali had listened to Zelig... No, that wasn't right. Margali had only done what she thought was right for her tribe, and Zelig had no right to try and break the tribe up like he had.  
  
Kurt's thoughts would have continued in this fashion if he had not caught movement in the corner of his eye. Turning his head, he saw the young man walking over to him, and he instantly stood up straight and his tail tucked in-between his legs.  
  
He took a step back slightly when the young man was close to him, and he flinched when he pointed over to the suckling calf.  
  
"Why hasn't that cow been milked?" he demanded. Kurt looked over at the cow and calf and he sighed softly.  
  
"The calf is not old enough to eat grass yet." He explained. "I thought that if I only milked one cow, the calf would simply milk the other on its own."  
  
"That's another thing! Where is this bucket of milk?"  
  
"I put it in front of the barn." Kurt said. "I thought someone would pick it up and..."  
  
"Show me." Sighing, Kurt turned and he led the overseer to the barn, where he found the bucket, overturned and with the milk all around it. As the overseer turned on him, Kurt shook his head slowly in disbelief.  
  
"I put it there carefully! It wasn't in a position to just fall over like that!" he cried.  
  
"You've wasted some of the master's milk, and you've done your work half well in dealing with the cows in general. I also caught you daydreaming just now out in the fields. Do you know how many lashes that all comes up to?" he asked, tilting his head to one side. Kurt slowly shook his head, hugging himself slightly.  
  
"You will tonight." He said, smiling wickedly as he turned and walked away.  
  
Shaking his head slowly, Kurt knelt down and he picked up the bucket, trying to figure out what had gone wrong. There was a large dent in the bucket, one that he had not seen before.  
  
It looked as if someone had kicked the bucket over on purpose.  
  
Chapter Three:  
  
When noon arrived, Kurt watched as a fat old woman came waddling up to him and the pigsty, looking like she was sucking on a lemon. She shoved the slope bucket into his hands, and she clucked softly in disgust as she turned and headed back to the house in a hurry, placing a handkerchief to her nose, as if the smell of the pigs offended her too much.  
  
Looking down into the bucket, Kurt saw that it was filled with cold oat porridge, apple peels, potato peels, one banana peel, and a few things that didn't look like anything he had ever seen before.  
  
Shrugging faintly, Kurt went into the pigsty and he immediately found the pigs crowding around him, pawing eagerly at his pant leg as he headed for their feeding trough.  
  
"Easy now!" Kurt said. "You mustn't crowd me like this! I may fall and spill this all over the place! And then how will I get my share of the food? Eat it all muddy?" Looking into the bucket, he cocked an eyebrow slightly.  
  
"Actually, I think a little mud would make this taste better! What do you think?" Smiling faintly, he leaned forward and he poured the slope into the trough, nearly falling to the ground as the pigs went at it with a passion.  
  
"Mein Gott!" he laughed, placing his hands on his hips. "Has he not been feeding you at all?" he asked. "Well, you'll need to move over a little and share some of that with me if you don't mind!" Slowly, Kurt reached down into the trough, and he was able to get two potato peels before he was forced to remove his hand, lest one of the pigs accidentally bite him.  
  
"Is this what you're giving me?" he asked, sitting down on the fence. "My good sirs, you are far too kind in your generous nature! Surely you can see this!" Smiling weakly, he ate the peels, and scraped the last bit of porridge out of the bucket and into his mouth.  
  
"I don't know about you, but I think I'll be full for a whole month!" he said with a laugh. "Now if you don't mind, the horses are calling for me!" Leaping off of the fence, he went into the stables, and he found his foster sister standing in front of the mare Zelda, stroking her neck lightly.  
  
"Jimaine?" he whispered softly. She turned to look at him, and his eyes grew wide when he saw that the scar on her face was huge and pouring dark blood. He took a step back and he couldn't help but look away. When he opened his eyes and looked back, she was gone.  
  
"What...was that?" he whispered, looking around the stables. The horses looked at him in a questioning manner, having sensed nothing around them. All except for Zelda, who was in a cold sweat and shivering badly.  
  
"Oh you poor thing." Kurt whispered, stroking her nose slightly. "I'll go get you some blankets." Looking around, he took out a blanket and he placed it over Zelda's back, stroking her neck gently and whispering gently to her. When he felt that she had calmed down, he turned around and started to tend to the rest of the horses.  
  
The dogs were more ferocious this time around. More of them lashed out at him, and he received a lot more bites on his arms and legs and tail this time. He ignored this and he fed and cleaned those who would allow him to get close to them, but the rest he was forced to leave alone.  
  
When night fell, he stood in front of the pigsty, waiting to see what would happen to him when his master arrived. When he saw his master coming, with a whip in his hand, he couldn't help but shiver and hug himself.  
  
His master checked the animals, and he found no fault with the rest of their care.  
  
"Why does Zelda have a blanket?" he asked.  
  
"When I came in, she was shivering and in a cold sweat." Kurt explained softly. "I thought that putting the blanket on might help her."  
  
"And the milk?"  
  
"I didn't know where to put it, and I didn't know that it would topple over." Kurt said. "I put it on flat ground."  
  
"And why didn't you milk the other cow?"  
  
"The calf is not old enough to eat grass, master. The calf needs milk still." His master narrowed his eyes slightly, twisting the whipcord slightly as he thought about this.  
  
"If Zelda's condition gets better, I will have you to thank." He said slowly. "Zelda is one of my most prized horses. However, Pietro told me that you were lazy with the cows, and you wasted the milk by letting it spill over. That calls for some kind of punishment. I think five lashes will do.  
  
"Now, take off your shirt and turn around. I suggest holding onto that fence to act as something to lean on." He directed, his voice still as calm as ever. Even though his master spoke softly and gently, Kurt could tell that protesting this would be quite useless. He slowly took off his shirt and he turned around, holding onto his fence tightly and bracing himself.  
  
The lashings came swiftly, the last three cutting into his flesh. Kurt winced and he bit his tongue, making it bleed slightly.  
  
"You will milk BOTH cows." His master directed. "You will then take the buckets and place them near the kitchen door near the mansion. You will not set foot into the kitchen however, as you know from your first night being here and my rules. Do you understand?"  
  
"Yes, master." He said softly. As his master headed back for the mansion, Kurt slowly went into the pigsty and he laid down, wincing as the mud went into his wound. Some of the pigs walked up slowly, and they laid down beside him in an attempt to comfort him. 


	3. chapters four, five, and six

Chapter Four:  
  
"Filthy beast!"  
  
The cudgel came down on Kurt's head with a loud thud, making him cry out as he tried to protect himself with his arms. Pietro kicked him in the stomach, knocking the wind from him as he started to beat on the rest of his body with the cudgel.  
  
"This should teach you a lesson!" he said, continuing to beat him, ignoring the startled cries of the pigs in the pigsty watching this display of savage brutality that humans always performed on one another.  
  
"Never make me look foolish in front of the Father!" Pietro cried. "Never again! Do you hear me you stupid slave?" Coughing up blood, Kurt sneered at him a bit, narrowing his eyes and flicking his tail dangerously.  
  
"It's not too hard to make you look like a fool!" he hissed softly. "You were born for that role you foolish Gadje child!" He let out a yelp when he was struck in the face with the cudgel.  
  
"I'll kill you!" Pietro cried, striking him again in the face. One of the other servants was forced to pull him off of Kurt before he actually fulfilled his promise with him.  
  
"The master will not like it if you kill his animal keeper!" the servant reminded him. "Now come back into the house with me at once!" Pietro came reluctantly, but not without one last kick that sent Kurt into blissful nothingness.  
  
Chapter Five:  
  
Kurt dreamt of Jimaine... and he woke up with a scream afterwards, startling the pigs away from him.  
  
Panting, Kurt placed a hand on his forehead, and he pulled it away to find nothing but cold sweat on the palm of his hand.  
  
"What does it mean?" he whispered softly, looking around slowly. "Gott, what does it mean?"  
  
Kurt had been living on his master's land for two years now, and he had been having the nightmares since last month, the second anniversary of the day Jimaine was taken away from him. It had happened the year before as well, but this one was so much more vivid than that last one!  
  
He had seen Jimaine standing in front of him, her arms stretched out to embrace him. But her face was disfigured with blood pouring out of her scar. She pointed at him with one gnarled finger, and then made the sign of the Cross, a golden light following her finger. She had then let out a screech before he had woken.  
  
What was also strange, his wounds he received last night were completely gone. There was not a single bruise or bit of dried blood on him from the beating he received from Pietro!  
  
"What sort of magic is this?" he whispered to himself. He looked over to one of the piglets and he sighed, getting to his feet.  
  
Kurt splashed his face with the well water, hoping to wipe away the nightmare and his disappearing wounds, but they were still there, digging and tearing away at him.  
  
What could it have meant? Was Jimaine dead? If so, why did she look so much like a demon of some sort? And why did she make the sign of the Cross, she had never been interested in the Christian faith before...  
  
Slowly, Kurt closed his eyes and he shook his head, banishing the thoughts from his mind for now. He had work to do, and it wouldn't be good if Pietro caught him standing around the well and looking into space.  
  
The animals were quiet today. This was odd, because when Kurt tended to them, they usually made some sort of noise, acknowledging him like an equal and a member of their family.  
  
But not today.  
  
Today, they watched him in silence as he did his work. The pigs were limp in his arms as he washed them, and no matter how much he tried to coax them, the cows and bull refused to make even a single moo for him. When he led them out to the fields, they moved eagerly enough, but they looked at him with such sad eyes, and he couldn't understand what was the matter with them.  
  
"Is something the matter, m'lady?" he asked one of the cows, stroking her side lightly. "Have I offended you in some way that you are giving me the silent treatment? Please, make some sort of noise to acknowledge me." The cow only looked at him for a moment before looking away and starting to graze.  
  
Sighing, Kurt placed his hands on his hips and he shook his head a bit.  
  
"You're in a mood." He said.  
  
"You! Boy!" Kurt clicked his teeth together in annoyance, narrowing his eyes slightly. He hated Pietro; he hated him with a burning passion. He was older than him by a good five years, and yet Pietro insisted on addressing him as "boy". He also had thirty whip scars on his back from him, and he swore that one day, he would make him pay twice that number!  
  
If it weren't for those shackles on his ankles...  
  
"I said boy! Come over here now!" Pietro ordered. Rolling his eyes, Kurt put on his submissive face and pose, and he turned and walked up to Pietro, bowing his head to him slightly.  
  
"What took you so long? Are you going deaf, boy?" Pietro demanded.  
  
"My hearing is just fine." Kurt said softly. "I was merely thinking about the cows and their condition."  
  
"What condition?"  
  
"They're not making any noise. Usually, an animal will make some kind of noise. They may be ill, or a rainstorm may be coming." Kurt shrugged, placing his hands on his hips. "Who can say what animals know and do with their knowledge." Pietro snorted, shaking his head as if Kurt were a simpleton.  
  
"They're just cows! Stupid beasts who once they are out of milk, become our meal." He said.  
  
"That is what you believe." Kurt said simply. "But that is not what I myself believe, sir." Pietro backhanded him, and Kurt's head snapped to one side.  
  
"Don't get smart with me, boy. You'll feel my whip if you do." He warned.  
  
"Did you want me for something, sir?" Kurt asked, wiping away the bit of blood on his lips with his tail tip.  
  
"The good Father is going on a hunt." Pietro said. "In about an hour. He wants you to prepare his dogs and best hunting stallion for the job before then. Failure to do so in a timely fashion will result in twenty lashes."  
  
"Then I shall get to it at once." Kurt said. "If you will excuse me...sir." Turning sharply on his heel, Kurt's tail slapped Pietro hard in the face, knocking him to the ground. Slowly, Kurt turned around and he cocked an eyebrow, putting on an innocent face.  
  
"Sir, what is the matter?" he asked. "Have you tripped on something? Oh well, I must get the master's things ready."  
  
"You'll pay for that, boy!" Pietro snarled, narrowing his eyes angrily as Kurt calmly walked into the horse's stables.  
  
Looking around, Kurt could feel that something was wrong with the horses as well. They were all just standing in their stalls, looking around and doing nothing. They usually were neighing and whinnying at each other when he came in to deal with them.  
  
Sighing, Kurt shook his head and he went up to his master's favorite hunting horse; a black one named Clark. Clark took one look at him and snapped at him, baring his teeth at him. Flinching back, Kurt looked at him in surprise, frowning slightly as he looked at his unharmed hand.  
  
"What was that for?" he asked. "None of you have ever snapped at me before! Why is today so different for you all of a sudden?" Clark snorted, pawing at the ground dangerously. Groaning, Kurt went to get the saddle and everything.  
  
"Well, whether you like it or not, I have to get you ready for one of the master's hunts!" he said. "So deal with it, Clark!" Opening the stall door, Kurt entered, and he cried out when Clark bit into his shoulder. Ignoring the throbbing pain, he put the saddle and bit on, and he received a few bites and kicks more before he was able to lead the wild horse outside and tie it to a post to wait for its master to arrive. It bucked and kicked at him wildly, and he thanked God that the rope was strong enough to stop Clark from getting at him.  
  
"I don't know what's gotten into you lately!" he said, "but it needs to stop!" Turning around, Kurt screamed when Clark bit deeply into his tail, drawing blood. Turning around, he slapped the horse in pure anger, and he then went to the dog pen to get them ready.  
  
For some reason, all of the dogs were quite docile with him, wagging their tails and barking at him when he entered. Shaking off his confusion, Kurt put on their metal spiked collars and led them to where Clark was, steering clear of the enraged horse at all times.  
  
He was forced to stand a few feet away from Clark, since the horse kicked and seemed to scream whenever he got too close to it.  
  
"Are they all ready?" his master asked, walking up from behind him. Turning around, Kurt nodded faintly, looking back at Clark warily. His master looked at his tail and he tilted his head to one side.  
  
"Where did you get that bite from?" he asked.  
  
"Clark, master." Kurt said. Shrugging, his master walked up to the horse and mounted him easily.  
  
"I will be coming back late at night." His master said. "Be ready to wash my animals when I return." With that, he led his dogs off to his hunt. Hugging himself slightly, Kurt watched his master ride off, his tail swaying slowly side to side.  
  
Something caught his eye, and Kurt turned his head and looked over at his master's church. A light in the figure of a woman entered it, and it then peeked out at him. It looked like it was calling to him to come into the church with it.  
  
Kurt hesitated, hugging his tail slightly. It was forbidden to enter the church; his master had told him that the first day he had been brought here. If he was caught there, he would be hanged without any questions.  
  
But the figure appeared once more, motioning for him to come in and join it in the church. It was definitely a female, its hair swaying in the wind as it called to him.  
  
He wanted to follow her, but when he looked up at the sky, he saw that it was still a good two hours before the sun would set and give him the cover of night. Looking back at the beckoning figure, Kurt hoped that she could read his lips from far away.  
  
"I must wait for the sun to set, lady." He said. "I will be caught if I go now." The specter nodded slowly, and she sank into the church.  
  
Sighing, Kurt went back to work to wait for the sun to set.  
  
Chapter Six:  
  
The sun was setting.  
  
Kurt watched it with a fast beating heart, trying hard not to get his hopes up too high. When it was finally gone, he went as fast as he could with the shackles on, and he went straight to the church, praying to God that no one would see him as he crept into the open door.  
  
His mouth fell open helplessly as he looked around at the rich splendor around him. Stain glass windows portraying saints and their lives glistened in the light of the white candles glowing all around the gold gilded church. Gems and jewels sparkled all over, some of them placed in statues of Jesus and His Mother.  
  
It wasn't just this that stunned him into silence. Kurt was not impressed by rich things much, but it was the being at the altar that surprised him the most.  
  
It was a young woman with long flowing golden hair. She had her back to him, and she was dressed in a silken gown that swirled around her. She was shrouded by golden light, and Kurt felt like he was in the presence of a saint or an angel of some kind.  
  
There was a clatter, and when Kurt looked down at his ankles, he saw that the shackles had fallen off on their own accord. Raising up his head, he started to slowly walk towards the glowing woman, his eyes filling with tears for no reason really.  
  
When the woman turned around to face him, he fell to his knees and the tears fell freely down his cheeks.  
  
"I've missed you." Jimaine whispered, tilting her head to one side as she smiled at him warmly. Her face was young and beautiful, devoid of the ugly whip scar she had gotten on her face years ago. She walked up to him slowly, her hair and dress moving as if wind was blowing them lightly.  
  
"Jimaine..." Kurt whispered. "Why are you here?" he asked.  
  
"Don't you know?" she asked, crouching down in front of him. Slowly, Kurt shook his head, and she shook her head and sighed softly. "No, of course you don't."  
  
"Why was I having those ugly dreams about you?" he asked. "Or is this a dream too?"  
  
"No, this is not a dream." Jimaine assured him. "And those dreams you were having were telling you that I was dead, Kurt. Didn't you understand them? That was why I was bleeding so much."  
  
"I'm sorry." Kurt whispered softly, shaking his head. "I should have fought them away harder." Jimaine shook her head a bit, resting a hand on his cheek.  
  
"It doesn't matter anymore, Kurt. Everyone in our tribe is dead and gone." Jimaine said. "All of them are resting where they deserve to rest."  
  
"All of them, except for me." Kurt said, looking down at the ground sadly. He looked up at Jimaine in confusion when she shook her head slowly. "What do you mean?" he asked.  
  
"Think, Kurt." She said gently. "Think back to what happened last night with Pietro."  
  
"Think back? He beat me because I made him trip while he was bowing to my master. Nothing new there really." He said.  
  
"Didn't you notice anything strange this morning?" Jimaine asked. "Where are your wounds if he beat you?" Kurt blinked in surprise at this, looking away for a moment.  
  
"I... I don't know where they are." He whispered.  
  
"Think back to last night, Kurt." Jimaine urged gently. "Try to think back." Nodding slowly, Kurt closed his eyes and he concentrated on the events of last night.  
  
He and Pietro were standing in front of the horse's stable, waiting for his master to finish inspecting the dog's pen. When he returned, he told Kurt that his work today was very good, and he even told Pietro that he could learn a thing or two from the Romani.  
  
Pietro had scowled at this, but he still nodded and went to bow to his master.  
  
Kurt swiftly wrapped his leg around Pietro's leg and he pulled on it, making him fall on his face at his master's feet. He then removed his tail and put on a picture of complete innocence as Pietro glared at him.  
  
"Clean yourself up, Pietro." His master said as he turned to leave. "You're a mess!"  
  
Kurt had laughed about this with the pigs when Pietro came back with a wooden cudgel later on, catching him by surprise and starting to beat him with it.  
  
Pietro beat him badly, pounding on his body when he couldn't get at his head.  
  
Then, Kurt's memory opened up, and he saw how it really ended for him.  
  
A servant never came out to pull Pietro away.  
  
Kurt wrapped his tail around Pietro's ankles and pulled, making him fall on his ass before he struggled onto his feet and tried to limp away from him. Pietro got to his feet and struck him in the small of his back with the club before he then smashed him upside the head once more.  
  
Blood came out of Kurt's mouth and ears as he fell to the ground, but Pietro was still not satisfied with his work. Kicking Kurt in the side, he forced him to roll onto his back, and he started to beat him in the chest as hard as he could.  
  
Kurt let out a bestial howl as he lashed out at his tormentor. He slapped away the cudgel and he slashed him across the face, but it didn't slow him down, it only made him angrier.  
  
"Filthy animal!" he snarled. He punched Kurt in the face, stunning him and forcing him back down on the ground. He then pressed his foot onto his throat, cutting off his hair.  
  
Kurt gurgled and gagged breathlessly, struggling and trying weakly to pull away Pietro's foot from his throat. It was useless however, as Pietro pressed down harder and harder on his throat.  
  
Finally, Kurt let out a gurgling whimper before his hands fell limply away from Pietro's ankle.  
  
Kurt's eyes slowly grew wide.  
  
"I died last night." He whispered softly, looking up at Jimaine in disbelief. She nodded, looking at him with a sad smile. "But...how?" he asked. "Why am I still here?"  
  
"People who are tortured to death don't die in pain, Kurt." Jimaine explained. "They are taken through another day, with nothing wrong with them. When a loved one of theirs who has all ready crossed over feels it is their turn, they come and explain everything to them."  
  
"So, you are here to take me away?" Kurt asked. Jimaine nodded, smiling at him. "But what happened really?" he asked. Jimaine shrugged slightly.  
  
"Pietro was forced to pay your master for killing you, and you were buried in a small patch of earth near the trees with no marker on it." She said.  
  
"Is that all he got? A simple fine?" Kurt asked in surprise, raising his eyebrows slightly.  
  
"What did you expect?" Jimaine asked. "But don't worry, mortals are often more lenient than the final twist of the Winding Way will be in dealing with them." She assured him. "Now, are you ready to go?" she asked, standing up slowly.  
  
Kurt looked up at her, his tail swishing side to side slightly. He smiled faintly and he reached up and took her hand, squeezing it lightly as she helped him onto his feet.  
  
"We've all been waiting for you, you know." Jimaine said. "We were really worried about you sometimes, Kurt."  
  
"But you didn't need to." Kurt pointed out, following her to the front doors. "I was doing perfectly well before I tripped up Pietro like that!" Jimaine laughed, nodding a bit.  
  
"I suppose so, but it was still a little sad, having everyone around except for you. It was almost empty without you there, Kurt."  
  
"Well you don't have to worry about that anymore now do you?" he asked, ignoring the clothes that appeared on his body. They were his old ones, looking colorful and brand new once more. Jimaine turned around and looked at him, her back to the front doors.  
  
"No, I suppose I don't do I?" she asked with a smile. With that, she led Kurt into the light and into the arms of his family. 


End file.
